An Unexpected Type of Fondness
by PrincessPeace15
Summary: Funny how enemy-to-enemy relationships aren't the same for everyone. Sometimes, the rest will try to force you to feel hatred towards someone, when in reality, all you want is for that person to be in your life. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the story of Lyn, and the turmoil she goes through when her "enemy" steals her heart. Rated T to ensure safety.
1. Prologue

**Author's note: I'm trying something new. The prologue is going up tonight, but this fanfiction will be updated every Saturday, alright? Great. This is the first fanfiction of mine having to do completely with this game, so if I've got anything wrong, please **_**kindly**_** alert me of it so that I can try my best not to make the same mistake again. Thank you!**

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She was chosen to watch over a world of innocent creatures. She was chosen to let her creativity shine to keep these creatures safe. She loved the job, and she loved these creatures as if they were the family that she never had… rather than the family she really did have, who totally disagreed with her wild imagination and tried to mold her into a "real person." Being in contact with these creatures was her retreat from the brutality of the rest of the life she had to live. These creatures kept her alive, ultimately.

These creatures were called the Raposa. They were very similar to rabbits. They had rabbit-like ears, and most of them… MOST of them were just as innocent as the little woodland animals.

The girl I'm mentioning? She was known as the Creator by this world of Raposa. Her name was Lyn.

However, something went very wrong on Lyn's end. She was acknowledged by the very enemy that she had to save the other Raposa from.

This enemy used to be a normal, peace-loving fellow, also part of the Raposa village. He used to be one of the most popular and respected villagers there was. He challenged the Creator, and was eventually corrupted by cruel shadows. These shadows manipulated his heart and made him into the evil being that most know him as.

When Lyn met him, something different grabbed ahold of her heart. Her intentions were changed as well, but not by shadows… by the famously complex concept of love. She suddenly saw a future with someone that everyone was counting on her to destroy. She had feelings for him. Eventually, she sighed and accepted that she was in love with him. There was just something about him that she could not get out of her head. Something that attracted her, and made her heart flutter like absolutely never before. She didn't quite understand. Was it how handsome he was? Was it that he had intentions for peace, but was just being corrupted by these everlasting shadows?

She didn't know, but she would cry herself to sleep every other night, trying to decide where to place her trust. If she ever had a chance with this enemy, she would be going against who she considered her true family. She had to destroy him.

But if she got the chance to do that, it would be the hardest thing she ever had to do in her entire life.

Her love for this enemy only continued to grow. Her sadness drove her quite near to the point of insanity. She couldn't destroy him, she decided.

And so, her outlook, and heart, slowly became encrusted with shadows as well.

I've pretty much summarized the first part of the tale for you. I assure you, though, that the true excitement is buried within the details. Read on, or don't. Your choice.


	2. Chapter 1

Lyn remembered the first time that the Raposa ever called to her.

She was about to lay her head down to go to sleep on a warm summer's night. She kept her head towards the fan on the floor, in a desperate attempt to get cool. She never knew how her room always kept the most heat _and _the most chill all the time. It also sometimes kept the most bugs, but that's not important.

She had a neat contraption that she treasured dearly. It was meant to be a handheld entertainment gadget. It had 2 screens, one of them being a touch screen, and a microphone. She had been pushed to the verge of tears when she lost it one time.

That night, sleep was almost impossible. She had no clue why, but she knew that something… some sort of invisible feeling… was nudging her awake. She thought someone was telling her that more was needed before she could fall into slumber.

Eventually, she gave up on sleep, grunted, and sat up.

"Why can't I sleep?" she whispered to herself. "I feel like… something's calling my name. Desperately calling my name… Am I hungry? Did I miss something?"

Then, she looked to her dual screen entertainment gadget, which she named Blue. It was a name she had given it one of the very first times she had lost it. She just randomly started calling out "Blue!" and the name stuck.

"Blue?" she whispered. "…I feel like you need something from me."

At that, she reached for it and opened it. When she did, she could hear a voice crying for help. A tiny voice, almost like that of a baby… but speaking fluent words. Instead of waking her mother up and insisting she be taken to the hospital down the street, she responded. Finally, a chance for her one greatest dream to become real. She'd always wanted to live in a world other than the one she was born into. At least, live in association with another world. She wasn't about to pass that chance up.

"W-Who are you?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Creator," the voice responded. "We need your help. I know we haven't talked to each other before. I'm Mari, the daughter of the Mayor of the Raposa Village."

"Raposa Village?" Lyn asked.

"This may all seem very strange," Mari sighed. "Turn on your dual screen gadget so you can see us."

So Lyn did so. And every startup screen she was usually presented with was overridden. She was looking at a peaceful village. It contained many houses and businesses. But why weren't there many people? Maybe they were inside?

Wait… there were living things here. They were really short and had rabbit ears. Rabbit ears and dotted eyes. Who were these things and what had they done to Blue?

"Hello there," she said nervously. "I'm Lyn… the one you referred to as 'the Creator.'"

A bunny-like thing with brown hair and a yellow dress looked toward the screen. This shocked Lyn a bit.

"Creator!" she cried. "We need your help! One of our villagers has become evil and is now threatening our poor village! We need you to create a hero to defeat him!"

"Eh… how do I create a hero?" asked Lyn.

"Oh, follow me," said Mari.

But Lyn didn't have to take a step away from her bed. Her perspective magically moved her from the outside of the village into a building. There was nothing but a huge easel in here. That easel was larger than any she had ever seen before.

"Draw a Hero," Mari nodded. Lyn nervously took out Blue's stylus, and following the guidelines on the easel, created a figure that she knew reflected her personality. She had red, curly hair, a black shirt, black pants, and decorative purple boots. She smiled.

This is when her adventures began. She watched as the Hero she had created ventured around with Mari and her friends by itself. She definitely felt as if she were living a fantasy of some sort, like she had always wanted.

The first time she had to draw a platform, she said "Huh," in surprise when it dawned on her what her true purpose as the Creator was. To create stuff, including the Hero she had to help along the way. The first time that the Hero ever fell in battle, she almost fainted, but regained her composure when she found that there was a life count involved. A life count that only occasionally depleted by 1 or 2, but would always be made up by strange, spinning versions of the Hero's face along the way. A life count that was never brought lower than x2.

Somewhere along the way, Lyn fell asleep. She didn't see it coming. She had no warning. She suddenly woke up 2 hours later, realizing that something had just knocked her out, like a blow to the head. Of course, what she woke up from was peaceful, _natural _sleep, but she darted upright and opened Blue, desperately hoping that her Hero was alright.

It was. In fact, its life counter was at x5, and it looked ready to battle something. Maybe that something was the black thing in front of it… wait, what was that? It wasn't just some black thing that had gotten on Lyn's screen, which she realized once she smudged it in an attempt to get it off. Looking closer, she realized that it kind of looked like the people of the Raposa village. Another one of them… was who they had to fight all along?! She pictured this being a bunch of animals being terrorized by an evil human mastermind… but things got interesting since it was another one of their kind. He seemed completely covered in shadows. Dancing, swirling shadows from head to toe. The only thing that stood out from the darkness was his big, white eyes.

This appearance intrigued Lyn rather than threatened her. She didn't realize that she was leaning closer to the screen to get a better look at this mystery being. He stood so tall and proud for his size.

At the time, she determined that all she was thinking was that he was really handsome. And those feelings were especially confirmed when she heard his voice.

"So you've made it this far," he chuckled. "My little scorpion friend will take care of you!"

At that, the Hero she had come to know and love as a sister was almost snapped in half by the claws of what seemed like a giant, robot scorpion. An ugly one, at that.

As the battle played out before her eyes, she couldn't help but look around for the shadowed being. That was eventually what her attention was completely focused on. So focused that she didn't see it coming when the screen shifted directly to the one in question after the scorpion's defeat.

"This has gone on long enough!" he growled. "I'll destroy you myself!"

Lyn gasped. This Raposa was using attacks that she remembering creating for her Hero… He was intelligent. Either that, or he must have gotten ahold of some pretty insane power.

Eventually, a hit landed on him by the Hero made the backdrop go black again.

"Ooooh!" he raged. "Now prepare to die!"

Lyn hadn't seen anything so mad in quite a while. She was even a bit taken aback when the Raposa continued using the same attacks.

Eventually, the backdrop went black once more, and he froze in the air, a shocking look on his face.

"Ow ow ow!" he cried in defeat. "What?! No! This cannot be!"

In an instant, he slowly fell face first to the ground. The shadows turned out to be simply shadows, for they suddenly disappeared into thin air to reveal another figure. This one almost looked like a friend Lyn had met on the Hero's journey, Jowee. What the shadows had just revealed was a light-gray colored Raposa in blue clothes. He looked scared, and he then disappeared into thin air as well.

"No…" Lyn said absently. "…Wait, why did I just say that?"

She quickly closed Blue, putting it down and putting her head on her pillow, face down, trying to comprehend everything she had just seen. Strange figure… involuntarily possessed by shadows… defeated… gone…

She couldn't get this figure out of her head, and her thoughts of him almost drowned out the subliminal sound of Mari quietly calling to her from Blue again. So she opened Blue. The view was back on the Raposa village, which almost looked more peaceful than it was before. Mari was looking at Lyn worriedly.

"Are you alright?" Mari asked. "You just seemed to have left for a while."

"WHO was that figure my Hero was fighting?" Lyn asked impatiently. "I can't get him out of my head… he looked so scared once he was defeated and… and…"

"That was Wilfre," Mari explained. "He stole the Book of Life from our village and drew in it, attempting to outsmart you."

"Me?!" Lyn cried. "…He was trying to outsmart _me_?"

"Yes, _you_, Creator," Mari smirked. "Anyway, his drawings came out evil and twisted, and shadows corrupted him until he became the monster that your Hero fought."

"Is that you, Creator?" another voice rang, and Lyn had to see Jowee walk into view before she remembered that the voice belonged to him. "Hey, catch a break. Who knows when we may need you in the future?"

"A-Alright," were Lyn's final words to the Raposa that day. She closed Blue, shuddering at the situation that was dawning upon her. What was it about Wilfre that captivated her attention so much? He made her heart flutter like nothing had ever before. Not any other video game character, _or _her two and only crushes in school. Nothing.

Those crushes seemed obsolete now.

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**Author's note: I'm a little nervous about this chapter. I'd REALLY appreciate it if you'd review this fanfiction and tell me how I'm doing!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's note: I just want to point out that while I did include the exact lines from the games, the perspectives won't always be the same as what you see when playing the games. Is there anything wrong with manipulating minor details to add more of a realistic and dramatic effect?**

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Two years later found Lyn getting ready to shut Blue after an entire day of mindless gaming. It was the middle of the summer, where her time was rather flexible… so flexible that it was almost scary. Her hair was a matted mess. A suitable bird's nest. She was in her usual black tank and Scottie pajamas.

But the very moment Blue's two halves came into contact again, Lyn thought she heard something familiar. A cry… that cry, crying a name that a familiar world of people have given her.

It was the Raposa again. Lyn immediately opened Blue and found that the screen was showing a grim scene. She gasped. This wasn't like anything she remembered.

The Raposa village was supposed to be colorful, lively, and similar to fall foliage… not scribbles and lines that were similar to an amateur blueprint. There was absolutely no color to be seen on an entire half of the screen. No color. Everything was just black and white.

"Creator," said Mari. "We need your help again. This was the work of Wilfre. Our colorless village."

"Alright," Lyn sighed nervously. "Where's my Hero?"

"It's yet to be made!" Mari smiled.

"WHAT?" Lyn asked. "…I mean, I thought I already made one!"

"Heroes die with age," Mari sighed. "And quickly, too. We were despaired to see your first Hero go. But come. Let's go bring another to life."

And so, they ended up in the Creation Hall again. Lyn ended up making the same Hero over again from memory. She felt as if it would be a waste, as well as a dishonor, if she didn't bring the one sisterly thing she loved, other than the Raposa, back up from the "grave," wherever that was.

And within 5 minutes, Lyn's "twin" was back on her feet.

"You made her look even better than before!" Mari chuckled. "We'd better get going!"

And so, Lyn's second adventure commenced.

Along the way, they ran into a couple of curious characters: Salem and Sock. It was Salem that they encountered in the first place they ventured to. He was a Raposa very much like the Phantom of the Opera. He challenged the town's finest singer, Mayor Rose, to a challenge, and he won by cheating. Therefore, due to the previously determined bet, Mayor Rose lost her voice, but a turn of events, which was the Hero finding the Promise Conch, resulted in everything being okay. Mayor Rose got her voice back.

But the more curious figure they met was Sock. Sock was a silent one. Just a silent, seemingly normal kid with a big, green sock as a hat.

In the end, it was revealed that both of these characters were the same, and on the turtle that was the temporary village of the Raposa Lyn worked with, it dawned on her, and everyone else. She became pale.

Both of these characters were simply disguises of Wilfre's.

A couple of hours after that found them at Wilfre's Wasteland, standing in front of Wilfre's fortress. Eventually, the Hero ran into the fortress, and Lyn took a deep breath. From there, the Hero made a mad dash through confusing and dark hallways, and for the entire process, Lyn could feel her blood pressure rising. Being a true gamer, and this being almost like a video game of sorts, she could feel it in her gut, and she was… excited. Excited rather than nervous, even though nervousness would turn out to be something she had every right to have. They would see Wilfre once again soon.

And finally, when she thought they had just entered another room, Wilfre came floating down from the top of the screen. The Hero was on the brink of losing a life, taking on the appearance of a naked mannequin.

It jumped after Wilfre, who flashed with a white outline.

Even though its feet had clearly touched Wilfre's head and nothing else, it went down. Went down and resulted in the life counter going down to 1. For the first time ever. Clearly, Wilfre was invincible for some reason. Lyn groaned.

"Please tell me this isn't what we're REALLY facing," she quietly wailed into her pillow.

She looked back up to see that the Hero hadn't gotten back up. It was just lying there, like a lifeless human body.

"Hey, Hero!" Lyn shouted. "Get up! Oh, please, get up!"

Then, she noticed that with a triumphant laugh, Wilfre was hovering over it.

"Aw, the poor little hero who lost his color!" he smiled evilly. "Frail and weak! Just like the ones that believe in you. But do they really believe? They are too busy looking out for themselves. Risking everything for fame and glory… Hoarding resources, and writing rules to support the structure, instead of the life it was meant to protect. Now, blinded by the beauty of creation, they have lost connection to the world that we create! The perfect storm is at hand, and with this I will end your reign of tyranny once and for all."

Then, he powered up the ruby scepter he had held dear the entire journey, and used it to blast a rainbow-colored, insanely powerful ray of color down on the fallen Hero.

Lyn could only watch this happen in utter horror. This was all that happened for about 30 seconds.

This, added to the confusion that plagued her, brought her to the verge of tears. Shaken, she muttered her thoughts to herself. Those that believed in the Hero were selfish? Was there a distinct possibility that Wilfre was out for peace rather than blood and destruction? There was nobody around to hear what Wilfre said, so he was most likely speaking the truth, right? In their first adventure, Mari had explained that "one of their villagers had gone evil." Gone evil. Wasn't evil before. If she could ever get the slaying of her Hero out of her mind, she had to ask Mari to fess up. To explain everything.

Then, all of a sudden, she heard Mari cry out for her from somewhere in the distance.

"Creator, hear us," she pleaded from somewhere outside the fortress.

Somehow, Lyn could hear it, and no matter the horde of emotions she was suffering through, she was all ears. She figured this was the only way out of this infinite road of uncertainty.

"We cannot do this on our own," said Mari. "You have given us so much, but we need you now more than ever… Help us, Creator. Help us and help your Hero stop Wilfre before it's too late… Guide us, and grant us the courage to persevere… Please give us strength to do what is right… We put all our faith in you, Creator. Please hear us in this dark hour."

Now, Lyn's confusion was upped a notch. The notch that sent a few tears running down her face. Who was she supposed to believe? The group of Raposa that had treated her like the family she never had, or the lone villain whom she strangely saw something within? Something that told her that these shadows were not his choice.

It was the most painfully difficult decision she ever had to make.

In fact, she only made her decision based on one pivotal factor.

The potential for vital information.

"Let there be color," she sighed hopefully. At this, she thought she saw Wilfre's eyebrows raise.

She determined that that was not true, while something else was more clearly rising off of the ground. Her Hero. She noticed its head get its reddish color back. Just a second later, its midnight black body got its color back as well.

Then, it moved off to the side, away from Wilfre's suddenly shrinking power ray, back in the color that it was born with. The Hero was alive, and the ray went back to bite Wilfre, it seemed.

"What? No!" he shouted. "This cannot be!" Was this familiar?, Lyn wondered. She felt as if she'd heard it before.

Then, she saw another body trying to… struggle to get away from Wilfre? In midair?! Now, she was completely lost. Wait… that had to have been the girl named Heather that Jowee and Mari, Mari especially, were so worried about. It had to be! For a split second, and ONLY a split second, her ever growing attraction for him was put aside for pure hatred. It was a twinge that hit her right in the heart. The shadows soon covered Heather back up.

Wilfre got out a book and said "I will not let you control us! Your power will be your own undoing!" At that, he started flipping pages.

Then, he ripped a single page out and threw the rest of the book aside. This was the Book of Life, she knew.

What other book would have resulted in the backdrop going white, Wilfre shouting "Now, behold my ultimate creation!", and the revealing of a rather intimidating fort? Well, fort is the wrong word. Wilfre suddenly sat atop a colorful storm cloud with an evil throne. The cloud moved, and that's when Lyn knew that the battle had truly begun.

Wilfre and the cloud dove after the Hero as they battled. He would also shoot lightning from it on occasion. It was a long and strenuous battle for that poor Hero, and Lyn was spending the time trying to get those whizzing confusions in her mind under control. She was slowly going insane.

Soon, she looked up and found that without any effort, it seemed, the battle was won by the Hero. Wilfre slowly sunk to the ground again, when the shadows evaporated to reveal Sock. Then, shadows engulfed that form, but only to separate to reveal Salem. Then, Salem was pulled into the shadows, which evaporated to reveal that one familiar figure that caught Lyn's eye more than anything. That scared-looking gray Raposa with the cute blue clothes.

Who was he? That was literally all Lyn wanted to know. Who was that innocent Raposa that didn't seem to have done any harm, but was always what the shadows covered? At that moment, he cried out in pain and was suddenly evaporated as well to reveal Heather, who remained in the flesh.

"Wait! Don't go…" said Lyn. She realized what she said and became even _more _bewildered. Not only was confusion making her insane with impatience. _She _was being messed up as well.

She closed Blue and began to sob. Being sad with confusion was a first for her. What was happening? Was there something Mari wasn't telling her? Was she being led down a path that only held lies? Was this all a mind game?

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**Author's note: Review pwease? Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 3

In an instant, Lyn got the idea to open Blue again, remembering her utmost desire for every little scrap of information on this Wilfre being. The information would soothe her soul. She saw something in him that made her happy. Happy, of all things, toward a being previously known as an arch nemesis. He had the type of personality that greatly complimented hers: one of complete independence. The type where one doesn't care what anyone thinks and goes their own way, whether it be heroic, evil, or both.

She saw him as a divine mate, yet it was a sight she tried to clear out of her eyes. It was completely impossible for enemies to be destined to be together… right? She knew that any sort of link between them would bring the rise of utter chaos. Yet she was still attracted to him, and wanted to know everything.

To her horror, when she opened Blue again, it was the 3DS Home screen that shined in her eyes.

"Mari?!" she whispered. "Mari, are you there?!"

No answer.

Yet another year went by. Sometimes, even after she had told herself to stop doing so, she caught numerous glances at who were previously her crushes on some days, trying to have them move Wilfre out of her mind. Wilfre haunted her every single day, some days more intensely than others. On the first day of school that year, while the principal was lecturing the class on all of the school's policies (which Lyn had already read over at least 5 times), she slowly slid her notebook close to her, opened it, and sketched what she could remember about Wilfre. She had no trouble, as his image was carefully etched into her mind from the last time she saw him. The lecture wasn't even half over when she finished and looked it over. Indeed, he was handsome. It was almost… poisonous.

No matter how proud of the drawing she was, she refused to show its face to anyone. She was the only one who could know about the calamity going on in the Raposa world. From stories she had heard about other far-off lands and characters, she knew it was best to keep it a secret.

Once that summer break began, she thought the haunting was starting to weaken a bit. She felt a little more in-control.

But her hopes of that were shattered at her summer cottage, when her mother, who was sleeping in the same room, woke her up in the middle of the night with worried eyes.

"What's wrong?" Lyn asked groggily.

"You were talking in your sleep," her mother whispered worriedly.

"Oh… sorry," Lyn sighed. "Was I loud?"

"No," said her mother. "I wasn't even sound asleep."

"What was I talking about?" Lyn asked.

"You were asking… who someone is or something like that," said her mother. "Someone named Will… something."

"Was the name Wilfre?" Lyn asked with a facepalm.

"Yeah, something like that," said her mother. And that's when Lyn knew that everything was far from over. She fell back into slumber, just barely.

When she got home from that trip, which was around 1 in the morning, she opened the door to her room and walked toward her bed, meeting one of the most horrific sights that could ever have befallen her. It made her begin to cry, and go cold with shock.

If Blue were a person, the situation could be described as brutal, attempted murder. The left side of Blue's hinge was shattered.

Lyn ran up to it and tried pressing buttons, even the Power button. Absolutely nothing would work. Blue was really gone, unless her generous father could possibly repair it, or have a professional repair it. But THESE damages?! How could this have happened?! There were no broken windows, her mother had locked everything up before they left… How could anyone have gotten in and not have stolen anything?

All of a sudden, a spark of life radiated from Blue. It lit up again, and a gargled voice was crying from it.

Finally, Blue was barely alive, and Lyn could finally understand the cries. It was Mari again.

"Creator!" she cried. "Wilfre… he's resurrected himself and gone completely MAD! We've never faced such tragedy and fear with him before. He's never been this… _deadly_ before!"

"Well, where is he?!" Lyn cried, too caught up in panic to remember her desire to yank some information out of Mari.

"We don't know!" cried Jowee, who Lyn almost didn't recognize.

"Well, the device I use to communicate with you guys and help you out and everything… IT'S BROKEN!" Lyn cried.

"WHAT?!" cried a group of people from within the ever-withering Blue.

"How am I supposed to make a Hero?" asked Lyn.

"Never mind that!" cried Mari.

"Wait, what do you MEAN?!" asked Lyn. "The Hero is what saves you guys, right?"

"I said NEVER MIND THAT!" Mari panicked. "We're not what you need to worry about!"

Then, Jowee added nervously "We believe he's heading your way, Creator."

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**Author's note: And so, we advance into a series of events from my own imagination rather than the games. I know this fandom isn't that popular anymore or anything, but reviews would be HIGHLY appreciated. Thank you!**


	5. Chapter 4

"Woah!" cried Lyn.

That was the first word that came to mind. This was certainly news. Wilfre… coming _her _way? She both wanted to smile and cry. Something in her gut told her that Wilfre, whoever he truly was, only meant harm… or did he? All she could really do to react was laugh nervously. Wilfre was going to _approach _her. That handsome Raposa was going to have a word with her. She could get a better look at him and put some pieces of the puzzle together, she hoped.

With a sudden twinge of fear, she turned back to Blue, which hardly seemed functional at this point. One nudge, and she'd never see the Raposa again, or so she thought.

"Is there anything you guys were planning… to do to assist me?" she asked nervously.

"We can only give you moral support, Creator," Jowee sighed. "We're still cleaning up the damages from our most recent problem with… well, the shadows."

Squinting, Lyn looked through Blue at the village, and instantly became confused. All of the color was back, but all over the place, there were glops of darkish black stuff. She didn't remember having to deal with anything like that.

Nothing could have happened since they got back the color to their village… right?

"Last time I remember," Lyn pointed out. "You guys lost the color of your village. What's the dark stuff for?"

"Woah, woah, hold on," Jowee interrupted. "How can you not remember that?! That happened, like, yesterday! Is your mind decomposing or something?!"

"No, I seriously don't remember that! I wasn't even here yesterday!" Lyn cried.

"You sure?" asked Jowee. "You sure you don't remember drawing a 3rd hero, defeating Circi… The whole entire village was flooded with that stuff during the final battle!"

"Calm down, Jowee," Mari shushed as she walked onscreen. "Creator… why were you so quiet yesterday? You didn't say a word to us when you saved us from the monster Circi created. I called out numerous times, and no response echoed through the air."

"Because that couldn't have been me!" Lyn explained uneasily. "Yesterday, I was at my family's summer cottage! I was nowhere near my handheld device!"

"Alright, let's put some of these details together," said Jowee. "SOMETHING helped us out yesterday. They had the talent to draw much like the Creator… That's it. Someone must have barged into your home, broke your handheld device, then-"

At that moment, Lyn felt a strange rumble of movement strike Blue. With it, the screens went black. Instead of staring at that horrid sight again, she slowly put it down and looked around. That nudge was NOT her. Something else grabbed it and shook it, forcing it not to die, but to fall into comatose. This was beginning to feel as if a horror movie was playing out, and unknowingly, she was the star.

Then, slowly, a voice somewhere in the room crooned "Hello, Creator."

Within 30 seconds, Lyn was a little closer to recognizing the voice. It oozed through her eardrums, resulting in her next, temporary feeling of dreaminess. However, when she snapped back to reality, she instantly knew that voice.

That's when she saw his completely shadowy figure nonchalantly waiting by the door to her room. Just standing there, staring at her. She noticed its pearly white eyes and instantly knew what Mari and Jowee had warned her of. The worst thing was that she had no clue what to do. Should she try to attack him, defend herself, or wait for something to happen?

Then again, her excitement rose to an unsafe level. That was Wilfre, alright. Wilfre, the one who terrorized the Raposa village either 2 or 3 times in a row. Of that, she was unsure. Wilfre, the one who Lyn was intrigued by more than much of anything. Wilfre… the handsome little guy who had somehow stolen Lyn's heart.

He was here.

He stepped a little closer to Lyn, seeming to examine her from head to toe. The atmosphere became chilly with uncertainty for her.

"So," said Wilfre. "I've tried to put everything together. I've tried to grab control of my destiny, but these Heroes that YOU create only put a damper on it all. That's when I finally decided that you were the one to have a discussion with."

Although she wasn't exactly aware as to whether she was in peace or danger, his voice brought out her love for him. Her love was like a warm blanket to melt any icy shard of fear that tried to penetrate her heart. His voice was almost as soothing as a massage. His presence was commanding, seeming to assuage her soul completely.

She was happy that he was here and couldn't have wished for anything better.

"Alright," she nodded.

Wilfre gave a soft chuckle, then spoke in a more grave tone.

"I've tried to get my word in, but nobody would let me," he said. "Whenever I try to make the difference the Raposa village really needs, you defeat me. You always get in the way. Tell me, Creator. Why do you never let me give my say?"

Thinking back to an explanation that she was given sometime during her very first journey, she spoke what she felt.

"I can truly understand why they won't let you get your hands on the Book of Life," Lyn spoke nervously. "Your point is both valid and invalid. They keep the Book of Life away from most others… probably because there is just no way to know everyone's pure intentions. If everyone was allowed to make their own creations, one drawing could easily cause utter chaos! There would be no way to foresee it whatsoever."

Wilfre almost seemed to be intrigued by Lyn's words, which surprised her.

"But that means the authorities that are keeping it away from the hands of others are only thinking of themselves," Wilfre countered.

This struck Lyn. She never thought of it that way, and suddenly… she began to. Wilfre _did _have a valid point. Most of the Raposa in the village seemed to have good and pure intentions… intentions that weren't purely evil, at the very least. Wasn't there some sort of protocol that could be set up?

"Tell me something else now, Creator," Wilfre asked of her. "What are you being led by? I've picked up the idea that you are not going by your heart's true inclinations, but the commands of those like Mari, who only want me done for. Those like Mari, who only care about their safety and are not willing to take the chance of their village being a brighter and much livelier place. Tell me. What guides you?"

This is when everything shifted. This is when she suddenly knew. She knew who that gray, scared-looking Raposa was, and realized that the answer had been revealed to her from the very beginning, but she was too caught up in bewilderment at the very existence of the Raposa to comprehend it. Her intuition had the right answer. Somehow, she had known that Wilfre had not necessarily chosen to be consumed by shadows, but was driven evil by force. She developed… not necessarily a hatred, but a trace of annoyance toward the Raposa that she could previously call the family she never had. They were suddenly just like her biological family, claiming that they knew what was best, when in reality, they were commanding her like a slave.

Normally, she would have questioned the very truth behind the words Wilfre very delicately spoke to her, but there was a straight reality that was reassuring her that the truth was really the truth. It was the universal story, with absolutely no bias existing on either side. It was the same on both sides of the issue.

Suddenly, Wilfre had dug even deeper into Lyn's heart. He had almost found his spot there, in her life. She could smile if she and Wilfre were to stare into each other's eyes, when during her entire life before, eye contact was an uncomfortable, almost impossible task. His shadows danced in the already dark night, entrancing her eyes. His voice was that much more wonderfully inviting, presenting her a smooth pleasure every time she heard it. Finally, she saw that much more purity in his heart.

She belonged to him that much more now.

"You've got the right idea, Wilfre," Lyn wholeheartedly admitted. "I've simply been going off of what they've told me."

"I figured as such," said Wilfre. "That's all I've needed to know. Until we meet again, Creator."

At that, all of a sudden, shadows whirled around him, and in an instant, he was gone.

An idea hit her like a tidal wave. Well, it was more like a theory. She hadn't saved the other Raposa the day before, like they claimed she had. Somehow, someone else must have done her job for her. But was it the same person who attempted to take Blue's life, whoever that was?

Could it have been… him?

This is that moment in time when her heart began to develop a rash of shadows. She was more for Wilfre than she ever could have imagined. From here, she would never look at anyone, or trust itself, the same again, and things would only become darker.

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**Author's note: Once again, a meaningful review would be highly appreciated. Even if I don't use it, every piece of advice I am offered is as valuable as emeralds. I'd love to know how I'm doing! Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's note: This chapter is an epitome of the T rating given to this fanfic. Even if that's an exaggeration, I felt like giving a bit of a warning. Thanks!**

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Lyn woke up the next day, and for the first time in her entire vile life, she had woken up to a new day. She woke up with a new outlook, a new ambition, a new frame of mind… a new expression. She suddenly felt as if she had the lab report of the entire world in her hands. She finally knew what place she had, and what the world truly thought of her, and it was a magnified version of what she thought. Yes, the world didn't care for her, like she had speculated. But she had no clue that it would be on such a grand scale. She woke up to the realization, and it struck her as harshly as the near-afternoon daylight. Nobody was out to provide care for her. They were only out to feed off her abilities to go about their lives without looking inside of themselves and seeing what light they could shed.

Nobody cared for anything but themselves, Lyn realized, except for one. There was only one in the entire universe that she could place even the most miniscule amount of trust in, and she knew it because he somehow had the heart to inform her of all she had been forced to walk blindly through. He had the very generosity to save Lyn from oblivion.

Wilfre.

Lyn never emerged from her room except for food and bathroom breaks for days on end. She knew that her room was the fallout shelter she could trust, the fallout being the words of others. Except for Wilfre, even those that had been the closest to her had been revealed as inconsiderate, stingy slave owners, only ever dreaming of getting everything they could out of her, no matter what sort of catastrophe it would all lead up to. Anyone who tried to communicate with her was met with a complete onslaught of pain, dealt from Lyn's very mouth. Lyn had never spoke more harsh words, in a more harsh tone, in her entire life. Even the smallest crack that her bedroom door opened resulted in loud name-calling, occasionally accompanied by tears. She did swing a punch once, in fact.

As time passed on, the pain within Lyn only grew. Wilfre was the one person she could trust, and no matter how hard she prayed and wished, he wouldn't arrive. She missed him more than she had ever missed anything, even the very comforts of home.

A month… just a measurement of time used to put something into perspective, right? A month had done unspeakable amounts of damage to Lyn's soul. Soon, it was rare to see her without tears soaking her face. She shook and froze to the very core more than any sort of medical condition could ever make her. She had liked being able to trust everyone around her. It made things so much easier. It made life worth trudging through. But so did the one being she could trust, who she was beginning to doubt.

On another insipid, humid late-August night, she knelt to the ground, a hastily-written note laying calmly beside her, and a kitchen blade held firmly in her right hand. An occurrence such as this, she had thought unimaginable… but she thought the same of this kind of pain. She had vowed to herself years ago that she wouldn't do such a thing, but she did so absently. When she made the vow, she did it with the very idea that there was always hope ahead. She never knew of the discovery she was doomed to find, or that its crippling effects were even possible. They were, and on this still August night, Lyn couldn't find any hope in her future. She knew that tonight was the night that it all had to end.

As she tried and tried again to break down the cowardice that was the brick barrier between the blade and her heart, she thought she heard the faint swish of a breath of wind somewhere in the room. She looked around stealthily, prepared to yell the brains out of anyone who scared her. There was nobody around, nothing moved… not a soul to be seen until her eyes met with those of her very savior.

Was it sorcery, the very timing of his arrival? Had it been planned somehow to happen this way? Wilfre had arrived, and with unexplainably outstanding timing.

As Lyn slowly and carefully lowered the blade in her hand and stared into those empty white eyes, she thoroughly expected him to croon something blunt, like "Greetings, Creator." That was so him.

That's why cold shock shot through her blood when he dashed up to her, stole the blade from her, threw it to somewhere invisible in the room, and asked "Why, Creator… What's the meaning of this?"

How was she supposed to explain what had truly been dimming the very light in her outlook for a month? It had been her love for Wilfre, a subject that takes great audacity to mutter. She decided on explaining a side reason, as Wilfre's clear impatience made her uneasy.

"Losing trust in everyone is a lot more difficult than it looks," she cried. "Solitude is actually a bittersweet thing. It provides both freedom and pain. The pain was beginning to take over."

"I'm glad I arrived when I did," Wilfre worried. "I'm not about to stand by and let something so small slay you."

"What brings you here, anyway?" Lyn asked, her tears drying at an alarming rate.

"I arrived to have a discussion with you about the future," Wilfre explained. "The game has completely changed for me because you aren't against me anymore. I'm having trouble thinking of a plot… I want it to strike the people of the Raposa village that their selfishness is causing damage. Some sort of trauma…"

Lyn was all in favor of causing trauma to the people of the Raposa village to get the point across. She knew it would work. It had worked on her in the past.

Eventually, she said "Well, maybe if we caused a problem that could only be solved by one of the smarter people of the village… like something only an astronomer could solve… something that's out of the league of my mental ability, but can only be solved through the Book of Life…"

"Exactly," Wilfre mused. "Or maybe something that would require the collaborative effort of the entire village…"

Yet another hour went by of contemplation.

"I've got it!" Wilfre cheered. "If only there was a way we could do something with the Moon… not make it disappear, but manipulate the inside of it with a catastrophic burst of energy of some sort… We could mix things up so that the Moon does not shine! I can only think of one person in the village who could figure that out and fix it. His name is Galileo, the town astronomer."

"Sounds great!" Lyn cheered. "Just let me know what you need, and I'll do it!"

"Before I go," said Wilfre. "There's something I'd like to show you."

A minute later found them downstairs, in Lyn's living room, where her mother was sound asleep. Blue wasn't Lyn's only entertainment gadget. She also had one that operated through the television through motion control with a specially designed remote, but didn't have a name. It was simply referred to as "the Wii."

But what Wilfre did with it made everything come together. He cast some sort of spell at the console with a flick of his wrist. With that, after the activation of the television, a darkened Creation Hall came onscreen.

What other explanation was there for the dark stuff littering the Raposa village before Wilfre had even encountered her the first time? What other explanation was there for how her job was done for her in her absence? It seemed contradictory, like an oxymoron in the literature of logic. But it was true. Wilfre had saved the Raposa once.

"I see," was all she could think to say.

"You can thank me later," Wilfre nodded. "Now… no matter what pain tries to end your existence, summon your courage and strike it down. Do whatever it takes to fight it. Whatever you do, stay alive. The future is bright for you and me, Creator. We are so close to achieving my dream… my life's goal!"

At that, in a flurry of shadows, Wilfre was gone again, and the Wii turned off, having the television screen do the same.

With mysteries solved and faith restored, Lyn's potentially fatal pain was pinned down by a happiness incomparable to any she had ever felt before. She went back up to her room and fell into slumber, holding her pillow as if _her _dream had instantly come true. She held that pillow as if it were Wilfre himself.

She had no clue what hope looked like, and she could never believe in it, but now, it was as clear as her world's Moon. Bold and brilliant. Definite. Irrefutable.

At last, something worthwhile was going to happen, but she had no idea of the fun she was really in for.

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**Author's note: A review would be HIGHLY appreciated. Review pwease?**


	7. Chapter 6

With each day that went by with no reports back from Wilfre, Lyn's intoxicating impatience only grew. After the 2nd week, she heavily considered giving up, before realizing that that would be an impossibly dumb idea. Who was she to give up before? Giving up only provided depression and regret in situations like this. Well… she almost gave up on life a couple of weeks before, but was instantly, and coincidentally, rescued. But each day that went by proved for it to be harder and harder not to give up.

One night, however, kicked everything off. The night was a kickoff to the adrenaline rush of events that were about to take place. Lyn returned to her room after a day out to both an art festival and a bowling alley with her best friend, Emily. Tiring, yet exciting, the day was.

She eyed Blue gratefully. The day before, her father had taken Blue into his hands and almost completely repaired the damages that Wilfre had done. Now, the only things different were the requirement of gentle use and notable electric tape of a decent quantity. But Blue worked perfectly, and that was all that mattered.

No, her father did not know about Wilfre. Lyn made up the excuse that she had dropped it down a flight of stairs. With her tendency to stumble over the household dogs, it seemed legit.

This night, as she flopped down on her bed to play her favorite video game, Tomodachi Life, she opened it and met a suddenly unpleasant surprise.

The Raposa village was back. Mari was the only Raposa onscreen. The leader of all those who had taken down Wilfre before…

"We need to know if you're okay," she said. "Did Wilfre harm you in any way?"

"No, he did not," Lyn huffed. "I'm fine. Good day, ma'am."

At that, she quickly shut Blue.

The sound of that familiar breath of wind met her ears. That sound of wind that almost seemed scripted to play out of a speaker, but was entirely too real and dynamic to be so. She shot up into a sitting position as she watched her savior walk up to her. Her Prince Charming… she almost melted at how handsome he was, staring at her like he was. The very white of his eyes was a captivating sight. He had finally arrived.

"So, here's how it's going to work," Wilfre said hurriedly. "I manipulated their Moon. It's set to go out in 1 minute. When they realize that I'm behind the Moon's malfunctioning, they'll call on you once again to stop me. But you won't be there because you'll have been kidnapped. So they'll have to rely completely on their own abilities to reactivate the Moon."

"Ha!" Lyn chuckled. "I knew you'd come up with an awesome plan!... Wait, did you say I'll have been… kidnapped?"

"Indeed."

At that, Wilfre grabbed Lyn's hand with a firm hold. Lyn was actually a little scared. She hadn't expected to be _abducted _by anyone.

In an instant, Lyn knew that Wilfre must have teleported… because absolutely nothing was the same. Her surroundings were strikingly familiar. Seemed like a collaboration of villages of some sort… Wait… This was Wilfre's Wasteland, where Lyn had seen Wilfre for only the second time! It was even cooler in person! Everything felt so dastardly… It helped to make Lyn feel… alive!

But what struck her the most was when she saw her hand, which was being pulled on by Wilfre in order to get her into his fortress.

It was no longer a human hand in any sort. It was a gray paw.

As she huffed to keep up with Wilfre without asphyxiating, she looked down at herself as well. Her feet were the same color, and also paws! She had on a simple, black and blue striped dress, and when she put her other paw up to her head, she felt that her red hair was still there, but she had rabbit ears.

Amazing. She was one of them. So far, it felt great. She felt prettier now, for some reason. She wondered if living like a Raposa was going to be any different, though. Well, she could get that information from Wilfre, seeing how he was apparently holding her captive.

So, this was what it felt like to be abducted? She wasn't being grabbed around the waist and hoisted over anyone's shoulder or anything, but nevertheless, she was being quickly and "forcefully" led to somewhere within this huge, musty fortress of Wilfre's. Of course, she was a bit scared, but any fear she had tried to convert to excitement due to the fact that… well,_ Wilfre _was kidnapping her. She proved a worthy hostage, and for that, she took pride. And this was _Wilfre_, for crying out loud! The one person she could call her true love!

Eventually, they came upon a small, cubic room with a cage dangling from a chain on the short ceiling. The cage almost touched the floor, in fact. Wilfre quickly pushed Lyn into the cage and closed the door, and just a bit of Lyn's excitement converted back to fear. During many instances was she grateful that she wasn't claustrophobic, and this was one of them, but nevertheless, she was in a cage, with nowhere to go. While she was in this cold cage, her life was in the hands of her "kidnapper", if she could call him that.

"…I'm sorry," Wilfre sighed sadly, putting his hands around a couple of the bars and putting what he could of his face through a gap. "I didn't want to be so forceful. The last thing I need is for one of the other Raposa to see us just walking nonchalantly toward a back room. What we need is for this to be as close to a real kidnapping as possible. This is sort of their test. If they come looking for you, it only proves that they are too dependent on your ability."

"Wow," Lyn marveled. "You are smart. I haven't heard of anyone other than myself thinking of something like that."

"Aw, shucks," Wilfre smiled. Lyn couldn't help but smile as well. "Say… you're known as the Creator, but… isn't there another name I can call you? Weren't you given another name at birth?"

"Well, yeah," Lyn blushed. "…Oh, my real name is Lyn!"

"Lyn," Wilfre mused. "Pretty name. I'll call you Lyn from now on."

"Alright," nodded Lyn.

Right before Wilfre teleported away again, Lyn heard him say "The name's almost as beautiful as its beholder."

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**Author's note: Fun fact! I wrote the second half of this in a rush! But that aside, I hope you like it! Can you find it in your heart to leave a review? I'd wuv dat!... Fine, I'd love that!**


	8. Chapter 7

Absolutely nothing that day had been calm for Lyn. First, a fun summer day out walking and bowling with her best friend, and now, having her hand taken by that of her sudden dream man and being thrown into his captivity. Normally, she thought, this kind of behavior would destroy every little scrap of trust she had in someone even as significant as a soulmate.

But Wilfre did something completely different to her. He made her eyes sparkle when nobody and nothing else could get them to light up. He freed the healthy, beautiful butterflies in her stomach, when no other _situation_, let alone person, freed anything but sick, moldy ones when the instance called for it.

Wilfre answered all of the questions that floated about in Lyn's soul. Those types of questions that Lyn could only assume answers for. Thinking that she would never truly know or be able to put trust in these answers, love was entirely too uncertain for her to believe that she could ever see it, let alone take advantage of it. But Wilfre truly opened her eyes and let her see the truth for what it was. A dreamy, high feeling that placed rainbows in Lyn's otherwise stormy, tornadic outlook.

Everything had changed, and she couldn't ask for anything better.

And at this very moment, all of these emotions were utterly exhausting.

She laid down on her back, trying to gain comfort out of the circumstances. A surprisingly clean, steel floor. Well, at least she wasn't on the musty old rock below her cage. Her head would hurt like the dickens if that was the case.

Comfort, however, wasn't really the problem. In fact, the next thing Lyn remembered made imaginary warmth wrap around her like a blanket. Or possibly arms that would never let go for their lives. Nah, it was more like a blanket. However, she couldn't sleep. The disbelief kept striking her like an axe, yet the relaxing happiness kept hugging her like a warm, fuzzy coat. Or possibly arms that curled around her with an assuaging force. Nah, it was more like a fuzzy coat.

She remembered what Wilfre said right before he left the room just minutes ago. Her name was almost as beautiful as its beholder, he had said. Could this be real? No, it couldn't. Somehow, by some sort of wicked sliver of a chance, he may have been talking about another Lyn. There's always a life behind everyone's eyes that hasn't been revealed to those who were even the absolute closest to them. Maybe there was another Lyn somewhere…

But she didn't want to put full belief in that. She didn't need to land herself in the dumps again. She had to quit assuming. Assuming was what had closed so many doors in her life. Assuming was what brought her down. She couldn't be sure that she had a chance, but assuming that she didn't would be almost as bad.

The game plan: Do the research and get the facts. Do NOT stick with an assumption. This would mean that Lyn would have to wait and see what happened.

Finally, her eyes were able to stay closed.

The next thing she knew, she was in a dream. A fuzzy, almost animated and scripted dream.

Her heart was racing. She was frantically drawing in the Book of Life, surrounded by the lonely walls of the Creation Hall. She remembered being told to draw food.

Wait, food?

Yes, food. She remembered being told that the Raposa were having a banquet, and told by one of the brawnier ones that "great consequences" would come if the food wasn't both prepared quickly and up to par. But what was she supposed to do to make it taste good?

All of a sudden, the door opened behind her. Lyn paused her drawing to turn around and see Mari standing there, her arms crossed and a solemn, yet smug look on her face.

"Step it up, Creator," she snapped. "You don't want to face everlasting guilt, don't you?"

"N-No, I don't!" Lyn gasped fearfully, quickly turning back to the Book of Life.

"Good," Mari laughed. Laughed. _Chortled_.

At that moment, Lyn finally found herself back in Wilfre's fortress, gasping and sitting up with the jolt of fear that remained. She couldn't believe it. The details were carefully engraved in her memory. She was being treated exactly like a slave. Like dirt for them to walk on. Her sensitivity was being taken entirely for granted, and harnessed so that everyone else could use her to get their simplistic wishes granted.

Just like Wilfre had said. They only cared for their safety and weren't willing to take chances to make the world a better place. Commanders who spat bitter lies in her face.

They didn't deserve to communicate with her anymore.

She suddenly loved it here. She started contemplating whether it would be a good idea to show her alliance with Wilfre to show what they had truly done to her trust, or to hide behind a mask of false fear, to show that they didn't have the slightest possibility of relying on someone so helpless.

Quite honestly, thinking of the other Raposa taking a look at the damage they'd done to not only her, but themselves, and begging for her forgiveness made her smile.

She was officially against them and for Wilfre, 100%. Now, if only she could win the shady thing's heart, her life would be completely wrapped in hope and delight.

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**Author's note: A review would be highly appreciated! It shows me that what I'm doing actually means something, whether it means beauty or disgust in someone's eyes. It means a lot to me when I get reviews!**


	9. Chapter 8

Two more days passed. Two more looming, uncertain days. Lyn had no idea what was going to happen, or what was going to become of her. She kept faith that maybe someday, something would happen.

This uncertainty only plagued her happiness when Wilfre wasn't around. Every day, she had Wilfre's company. For hours on end, he would peek through the steel bars that enclosed Lyn and very appropriately get to know her. Appropriately, mind you. He inquired about the excuse for a life Lyn had before they met, and she explained it, with every little elaborate and poetic word she could think of, and he would just stand there, occasionally with his head resting on his right hand, staring at her intently and taking in everything she had to say. Caring about what she had to say, unlike everyone else…

Then, one morning, just as the sun was tinting the sky with a dark blue color, her eyes opened as Wilfre's voice delicately murmured into her ear.

"They've finally figured it out," he told her. "They've been calling for you, but of course, you haven't answered. They've just figured out that I've kidnapped you."

A little panicked, Lyn sat up so quickly that it made her a little dizzy. The matter of whether she was going to come right out and show the truth or fake fear hadn't even crossed her mind for the last two days.

She really wanted to show how she really felt… but as her sense of thought woke up completely, a realization hit her. And hard.

If she showed alliance with Wilfre, they would only suspect that he had her under mind control. They'd hurt him again. They'd make him disappear into thin air again, and this time, he may never return.

But they'd do the same if she acted like a damsel in distress. And sooner. It would definitely be safer to show the truth.

"What do you need me to do, Wilfre?" she asked.

"…You know what?" Wilfre said. "I'm going to let you out of there."

Before Lyn could even comprehend amazement, Wilfre had worked with the door on her cage, and it swung open, almost like it was never locked. Gratefully, she scooted over to it and hopped out, grateful to be able to stretch her limbs out again.

"This'll be my way of testing my trust in you," Wilfre explained solemnly.

"Alright," Lyn nodded, a little alarmed that Wilfre didn't already know that he could trust her. He truly could after all he had done for her. She would never leave the walls of this fortress. This fortress of shadows was her new home, and she was going to prove that to him.

At that, Wilfre disappeared, and Lyn rested her head on her right hand, staring out the window at the sunrise.

After the sun was more blinding than beautiful, she turned and walked away, and until the sun shone from the opposite direction, she spent time familiarizing herself with her new home. In other words, she walked around and peeked into every little room she could find… which didn't tell her much until she got to the library.

The library. A spacious trove filled with titles that she somehow recognized. It was almost like Wilfre hadn't chosen the books that rested anxiously on the shelves.

She picked out the one that caught her eye, a fairly clean-covered book called "Wisps in the Night" and stared at its wonder-filled pages as the moon began to shine in through the window. It was a story of two hopeless lovers, separated by a taboo of some sort. How it ended up on Wilfre's shelf, she constantly tried to figure out.

She had lost all sense of where she was until she heard Wilfre's steps out of nowhere. In shock, she jumped a bit and dropped the book, making it close, therefore burying her place somewhere between piles of pages.

"I see you've found my library," he said calmly.

"Yeah, I guess so," Lyn chuckled nervously, barely being able to see Wilfre in the moonlight as he walked up to her. "What? Am I not supposed to be here?"

"What gave you that impression?" Wilfre asked. "No, help yourself. I take no interest in most of these books. They were here when I conjured up the place."

"Hmm," Lyn hummed. "So, how are you doing tonight?"

"Fabulous, thank you," Wilfre smiled. "I've just finished modifications on the artillery I'll be using to make sure the other Raposa don't try to steal you away from me."

"…Like what?" asked Lyn.

"Oh, just a floating mechanism," Wilfre laughed. "No guns or anything like that! Heh… And how are you, my dear?"

His… dear? Was this a new development or a kind greeting? Lyn could only wonder with a blush.

"Fine," she nodded. "This book I found kept me busy for most of the day."

"Great," Wilfre replied.

"…Well, I'll get out of your hair," Lyn sighed, beginning to walk away. "I'll find somewhere to sleep."

"W-Wait!" Wilfre cried, grabbing Lyn's hand.

What was wrong with him? Lyn heightened her awareness. Perhaps Wilfre had sensed that something was amiss? Was something about to happen? Were the other Raposa finally here?

"What is it?" she asked after the silence suddenly seemed pointless.

"Y-You're not in my way at all!" Wilfre stammered. "In fact… I came _specifically _to spend some time with you."

"Oh," Lyn smiled. "Well… what would you like to do?"

"I knew there were some old records around here, and I'm pretty sure my record player still works," said Wilfre. "I was thinking we could listen to them together."

"Well, sure," Lyn answered.

She sat on the fluffy rug below her as Wilfre walked toward a record player in the corner of the room, peeking around it until he found an old, rugged box filled with records. As he took one and put it on the record player, Lyn wondered how it would turn out sounding. Poor thing… He couldn't get out to get ahold of advanced technology, like the beauty of CDs…

Rather than muffled, crackly noise, pure music flowed out of hidden speakers. It was a compassionate piano/guitar instrumental. She had never heard anything so beautiful, and she had heard beautiful music in her time. She closed her eyes, taking it in and only mouthing the word "Wow…"

When Wilfre whispered "Beautiful music, isn't it?", it didn't interrupt the flow of what Lyn was hearing by a single bit.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," she sighed. "Where'd you get the record?"

"Just another perk that came with the fortress," Wilfre shrugged.

As that song ended, another began. It appeared to be the same type of instrumental, only purely piano. While this one wasn't as beautiful, Lyn thought she could relate to it. The little high notes seemed to represent the waves of happiness she was getting, being by Wilfre's side and all. The swells of the low notes seemed to represent the way the butterflies swooped around in her stomach. It was a very pretty piece, at the very least.

Before she could even comprehend the gist of the next song, Wilfre stood up. It was a little shocking remembering that he was a little taller than her now, meaning that he seemed extremely tall while standing in front of her like he was.

He held out his hand with a smile that almost made Lyn melt. Was this moment even real anymore, or was this some sort of wickedly sweet dream she was having?

"This is my favorite song," he explained. Then, he began to blush. "Whenever I hear it, I dream of having someone to dance to it with. But I've been alone. So… Lyn… W-Would you like to dance?"

"…Sure," Lyn said, taking his hand and standing up, knowing that if she blushed any harder, her cheek would begin to boil. "But I don't really know how to dance."

"That's alright," Wilfre smiled. "I'm not a professional either!" He put one hand on Lyn's back, and Lyn put an arm around his shoulder.

And they began to dance. It didn't matter whether it was just a string of repetitive twirls and steps, done to the swing of a slow, joyful piano instrumental. These twirls and steps were made with the most heartfelt emotions. Lyn never wanted the song to end. Being so close to Wilfre only enhanced her happiness, warmed her soul, and proved that she was truly in love with him. She could only dream of these types of moments her entire life before, and it wasn't unicorns and butterflies like she had thought… it was passion, a small candle-like flame of pure romance, and… love, really.

It was nothing like she had guessed it would be. It was even better.

After the song (unfortunately) ended, Wilfre reluctantly let go of Lyn and walked over to the record player, turning it off.

She wasn't sure what to say. At all. Something like "That was great" would just sound weird.

Wilfre walked back over to her, saying "I can find you a pillow and a blanket, if you'd like."

"That'd be great," said Lyn.

Wilfre left the room momentarily, coming back about a minute later with said pillow and blanket.

A few seconds later found Lyn laying comfortably on the floor. Comfortably, at last.

As she closed her eyes, Wilfre leaned closely to her, whispered "Good night," and waited a second before stepping away and walking out the door, looking back at Lyn once more before making himself return to the room where he was preparing his Ultimate Creation from the past for yet another battle.

A battle that both he and Lyn didn't know would be a while away.

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**Author's note: ...Once again, I didn't speak out of experience when describing Lyn's time with Wilfre in this chapter. I am Forever Alone, and have been my entire life. Poor me... Anyway, I'd highly appreciate reviews! They mean a lot!**


	10. Chapter 9

About four more days passed. Four more… comparably easygoing days.

On a serene night, Lyn sat in the room that she decided was the most hidden away from Wilfre's workspace, with the door closed. She sat not in grief or in anger, but in utter peace. As she stared up at the moon, she put together a tune. She would think up lyrics that sounded great, then sing them, then think up more lyrics.

Eventually, she had written a ballad. A ballad describing the peaks and pits of everything she could remember, from her discovery of the Raposa to Wilfre, and just how strange fate was.

Quite admittedly, she had the other Raposa to thank for all this. If they hadn't called on her, she would never have even known the name Wilfre existed. She would never have caught wind of the presence of her soulmate.

She closed her eyes, leaned up against the wall, and sang directly from her heart. It was almost therapeutic.

However, to her dismay, she opened her eyes to see Wilfre standing at the door, staring directly at her, with pure shock.

"Sorry, did I disturb you at all?" Lyn blushed.

"Not in the least," Wilfre said. "But… Lyn, your voice is absolutely beautiful!"

"Thanks," Lyn smiled, with a twinge of embarrassment attacking her.

"Why didn't you let me know of this before?" Wilfre marveled. "That's the kind of talent that could earn you a lot of respect! Or should, anyway. Society is absolutely brutal."

"That's why I never really wanted to become a part of it," Lyn shrugged. "I mean, making new friends was pretty exciting… but I never longed to include that many people in my life."

At that moment, Wilfre perked up. He quickly stood up and almost seemed to be listening for something.

"What's-" Lyn began.

"Hang on," Wilfre whispered. "Oh, no…"

At that moment, from somewhere in the distance, the echoes of the sound of a shut door rang throughout the fortress.

"At long last," he continued. "They're here. Follow me!"

Wilfre grabbed Lyn's hand, and she stood up, proceeding to follow him out of the secluded room, through a corridor, and into the room where Wilfre's Ultimate Creation waited patiently. Wilfre climbed onto it.

"Now, we wait," he sighed. "Don't hide. Just stay close to me."

"Alright," Lyn said nervously. She tried to prep herself for the truth-telling that would have to take place, but in all honesty, she was extremely scared. What if one of them nabbed her and took her away? Even worse… what if they hurt Wilfre?

Eventually, the room's door opened, and the very group of Raposa on the other side of the battle filed in. Mari, Jowee, and… Heather?! What was she doing here? She seemed too young and innocent to consider fighting… and after taking a look at them all again, Lyn became a little relieved. They used to have her draw a Hero whenever they needed to carry out something such as this, and here, they were defenseless.

Taking one look at Lyn, Jowee cheered "I think that's her!"

Then, Mari looked at her and smirked "I can't be sure…"

"Come with us," Jowee said to Lyn, taking her hand.

Well… it was now or nothing here. No matter how strong she could sometimes be, Lyn, deep down, was a pathetic weakling. She wasn't sure what it was, but she had the courage to do outrageous things, yet the hesitance to do some of the simplest things.

However, her love for Wilfre reminded her that being scared was the worst choice. She had to… not man up, but… you know what I mean.

"No," she said, taking her hand away from Jowee. "No, thank you."

"Wait, WHAT?!" said Jowee. "What's gotten into you?"

"That's definitely the Creator!" cried Mari. "What have you done to her, Wilfre?"

Wilfre replied "Why, I've done nothing at all! Lyn, why don't you tell them what they've done?"

"LYN?!" asked Jowee. "…Alright, there is some fishy stuff going on here."

"Please, explain yourself, Creator," Mari huffed.

"…Yes, my real name is Lyn," Lyn spoke. "You guys must've thought I was some sort of magical goddess. Well, I'm not! I _was _a poor human from the planet Earth, but then, I was brought here. And I like it here. And right here. In this fortress."

Wilfre added "I was simply filled in on what Lyn's been going through all these years. She's lost trust in everyone else but me, and it's all society's fault."

"Well," Lyn interrupted. "…Listen, I'm going to put this as nicely as I can… I feel like you guys only care about what I can do, and not me myself. Before you called on me the first time, I never even knew you guys existed. Every time I've ever communicated with you, it's been you guys having me assist you on your journeys. I felt honored at first, but now, I just feel used. What have you guys ever done for me?!"  
"Well," said Mari, seeming only slightly taken aback. "We didn't expect you to desire anything in return."

Suddenly, a wave of shame hit Lyn. She hadn't indicated that she was feeling any sort of negativity. Maybe that would have helped…

But then, an assumption she had gotten in life came to mind.

"If I had said something, I'm not sure if anything would have been different," she sighed sadly. "I have to just follow along or stay in the shadows, or else I get beaten down by the words of others. Nobody wants me to speak up about how I feel!"

"We care about what you think!" smiled Heather. "We can't thank you enough for all you've done for us!"

The little girl's voice was what began that little spark of guilt that Lyn felt. Her distrust in her biological family was correct to happen, but she just couldn't believe anymore that she had actually felt hatred toward the one group of creatures she could call a family… simply because of something a dark being told her.

But then, Wilfre came back to her mind as the peace-loving, misunderstood gentleman that he was. She remembered Wilfre's intentions, and that the other Raposa had beaten him down simply because of his efforts. He was corrupted with shadows.

He didn't choose to harness their power. They chose him as a host.

"Well… I see your point," said Lyn. "But I… I guess I don't necessarily appreciate how you've been treating Wilfre. Do you really see what he's been trying to get at all this time?"

"He killed the previous Mayor of our village," Jowee shouted. "took all of the color from our village, and kidnapped an innocent child!"

Wait… what _was_ the meaning of all that?

"If it's not the shadows that have corrupted his soul, I have no clue why he did all that," said Lyn.

"He corrupted because he was trying to overthrow YOU!" said Mari.

"I think he was trying to send a message by doing so," Lyn countered, gradually starting to lose confidence in her argument. "All he's trying to get at is that everyone should be allowed to draw their own creations in the Book of Life… or for everyone to at least have a say. I think…" She looked up at Wilfre nervously. "Do I have anything wrong, Wilfre?"

"No," said Wilfre, almost seeming to be a little dumbfounded as well. "No, you don't."

"Isn't there some sort of protocol that could be set up so that everyone has their say?" asked Lyn.

"…Hold on a minute," said Mari. Then, the other Raposa all huddled together. Lyn almost thought she could hear Wilfre chuckle a bit.

"What are we going to do?" Mari whispered. "Wilfre's up on that cloud, and only a Hero could ever come close to making him vulnerable!"

"He clearly has the Creator brainwashed!" said Jowee.

Anything else they said was illiterate, but what Lyn heard was all she wanted to hear. She had spoken from the heart, yet they didn't seem to care! All they cared about was getting her back on their side… so they could take advantage of her abilities yet again.

All alliances and rivalries she had before they had arrived were restored.

But less than anything else, she wanted a fight. Pacifism? She wasn't sure.

Eventually, the other Raposa broke apart and boldly faced Wilfre.

"We understand," said Jowee. "We'll leave you alone, and we'll run things differently."

At that, they turned around and left. Without another word. Not an apology. Not an admittance. Just a couple of statements. Lyn found this a little suspicious.

"What do you say we go over there in a few days?" she asked. "Something doesn't feel right."

"You're right," Wilfre nodded. "Just let me know when we should leave, and we'll check things out."

And their lives continued. With absolutely no difference except for a heightened alertness among both Wilfre and Lyn. Wilfre spent a little more time around the Ultimate Creation, trying to modify and upgrade it… almost as if he _knew _that there was more trouble ahead…


	11. Chapter 10

They had agreed on waiting a few days... but only one could pass before havoc could completely break out, like soda in a shaken bottle.

Lyn was jerked from sleep that early morning by the low rumble. The entire fortress vibrated, shaking her to the very heart. In the very vibration, she knew that something definitely wasn't right.

She quickly stood up and left the room. She felt an eerily cool breeze coming from the west. Hesitantly, she walked that way, feeling the breeze become sharper and sharper.

When she turned the corner, an ugly sight finally met her eyes. The part of the fortress she was facing… it was a complete mess. Something had completely torn it down. There were bricks in piles and dust littering the air everywhere.

"Wilfre!" she called in panic.

Right after that, she caught sight of something in the sky, through the barely remaining roof. It looked disgustingly familiar. It was some sort of aircraft fleeing the scene.

She had seen it before, on one of the adventures she had gone on before allying with Wilfre… The second adventure, to be exact.

She wanted to give the other Raposa a few days to bring the changes to life that they promised they would… However, one day… one attack… was all she needed to see the true colors of their intentions.

The silence was sickening Lyn with fear. Where was Wilfre? He couldn't be under all that rubble, laying helplessly dead. It would be impossible for her to bear that.

"WILFRE!" she called again, on the verge of tears.

At this moment, Lyn felt a dull pain hit her heart. Momentary, aching, and dull, it was one she had never felt before. She figured that it had come from the swell of emotions playing out within her and passed it off as such.

"…L-Lyn?" Wilfre responded from somewhere nearby.

All of a sudden, Lyn caught sight of his white eyes up ahead, amidst all of the rubble. The rest of him was completely invisible against the identically-colored bricks.

"Wilfre!" Lyn shouted once more, running up to where he was and holding out her hand.

He grabbed it and pulled himself out of the rubble, then turning around and seeming to survey the damage.

"Are you okay?!" asked Lyn.

"I've got a few bruises, but my limbs, and everything else, are just fine," Wilfre reassured her.

That pain that Lyn had felt before… it didn't sharpen at all, yet it seemed to strengthen in some other way. It was no longer possible to ignore. She felt as if something was weighing her down…

"The other Raposa can't be trusted," Wilfre continued, solemnly shaking his head. "I saw their battleship come here through the window in the room. I got onto the Ultimate Creation and was about to head your way… when the bricks of the fortress just all came tumbling down!"

"I think they may be gone," said Lyn, trying her best to get her heart rate back down. "They flew away. What do you propose we do?"

"I'll go out and see if any more of them are hiding, possibly waiting to attack again," Wilfre responded. "I'd prefer if you don't follow. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want you to get hurt, either!" Lyn demanded.

"I'll go out on the Ultimate Creation," Wilfre explained, walking back toward the destroyed room. "Nothing should be able to harm me."

"Well… alright," said Lyn.

While Wilfre scanned the area for any more threats, Lyn rushed from window to window, prepared to dash outside if anything were to go amiss.

The pain in her heart got to a peak, then nullified and became a deep, nagging feeling. She didn't feel like herself anymore. She felt unnaturally vengeful… bitterly angry…

Eventually, she got one look at her paw and gasped. Something was definitely going very wrong, but rather than outside the fortress walls, it was brewing within Lyn herself.

Shadows. They flared off of her fur like a flame of irritation on coals of persistence.

And that's when it all came to her mind. Her eye twitched. Her hand balled into a fist. They had tried to hurt Wilfre… They had likely tried to _kill _him… like they had somehow managed to do in the past, with her assistance.

They could not be trusted in any way.

She knew that much, but the urgency to rid the world of their existence felt completely unnatural. It wasn't like desires like that to escalate so quickly without her going through the thought processes first.

But this feeling was taking over Lyn's soul. There was nothing she could do about it.

Looking down at her arm again, she realized what was happening.

The same thing that happened to Wilfre had chosen her as a victim as well. She was becoming corrupt.

At this point, however, she was sane enough to be scared. This was all so sudden… too sudden to be sane…

As she spotted Wilfre walking back into the fortress, she hid her shadow-flaming arms, as well as her fear. She didn't want him to be worried.

The entire day, she scrutinized every bookshelf in Wilfre's library. She had given in to the desire to murder the other Raposa. It was all too much to fight.

She had read a few books by the time the moonlight glinted on the record player in the room. She hadn't learned a thing, much to her dismay.

Right as she got up from the ancient reading chair she was in, an overwhelming sense of anger knocked her off of her feet. She fell to the ground, breathing hard and clutching her chest. This definitely wasn't a heart attack, for the pain didn't last that long.

She was just… so… angry…

She suddenly noticed that the shadows on her arms began to expand. She could see her legs begin to turn midnight black and catch shadow fire as well.

No longer did she pay any attention to what was happening, but she was officially corrupt. No sane thought dared to enter her mind. Visions of the other Raposa stealing Wilfre's life were on repeat. It was the worst sight ever. Him, her soulmate, just laying helplessly on the ground… not a movement or a sound to be made…

It was something she could not let happen. The slightest possibility had to be destroyed.

"Jowee," she growled quietly. "Mari… the entire village… must _die_."


End file.
